"Of course, the army has been fighting them, and it won many battles, but the army cannot exist everywhere on the Syrian ground," Assad added

BEIRUT, November 22. /TASS/. Russia’s air force participation in fighting terrorism in Syria has improved the situation in the Arab country, Syrian President Bashar Assad said in an interview with the Hong Kong-based television channel Phoenix TV quoted by SANA news agency on Sunday.

"it’s been now nearly five years since the terrorism infected Syria, and of course because of the support of regional and international states, the terrorists could capture many areas within Syria," Assad said.

"Of course, the army has been fighting them, and it won many battles, but the army cannot exist everywhere on the Syrian ground," he added.

"But recently, after the participation of the Russian air forces in fighting terrorism, the situation has improved in a very good way, and now I can say that the army is making advancement in nearly every front, although front is not very precisely defined, it’s not wrong, but let’s say in many different directions and areas on the Syrian ground.

Russian aircraft have been delivering strikes against facilities of the Islamic State terrorist organization in Syria since September 30 at the request of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

The Federation Council, the upper house of Russia’s parliament, convened on September 30 to approve President Putin’s request for the use of the country’s armed forces in Syria against the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist groupings.

On the same day, Russia’s Air and Space Force started to deliver the first pinpointed air strikes against the militants’ positions. The Russian aviation grouping comprises more than 50 aircraft and helicopters, including the Sukhoi Su-34 and Su-24M bombers, Su-25 attack aircraft, Su-30SM fighters and Mil Mi-8 and Mi-24 helicopters.

Also, overnight to October 7, the Caspian Flotilla ships delivered a massive strike on the IS objectives in Syria, using Kalibr NK shipborne cruise missiles.

The Russian authorities have said on many occasions that Russia’s armed forces would not take part in any ground operation in Syria.

Russia’s air force has delivered over 4,000 missile and bomb strikes against terrorist facilities since the start of its operation in Syria, Chief of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov said on November 17.

"Over the past 48 days, the Russian air grouping has performed 2,289 sorties and delivered 4,111 missile and bomb strikes against major infrastructure facilities and the concentrations of the militants’ armor and personnel," he said.

"During the combat operations, 562 control points, 64 terrorist training camps, 64 arms and ammunition production facilities and other objectives have been destroyed," the chief of the Russian General Staff said.